Australian Society of Authors
Encyclopedia
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) is the peak body representing Australia's literary creators and is the major advocate for the rights and remuneration of authors in Australia. It was key in the government's adoption of the Public Lending Rights Scheme ratified in 1975.
, who became the first President. In 2008, the ASA was bequeathed Stivens' literary estate after the death of his heir Juanita Cragen.
The poet Jill Hellyer
was the first Executive Secretary and received an honorarium of ₤10 a week. Vice presidents were the novelist Morris West
and the critic and sometime publisher P.R. ("Inky") Stephensen
. The treasurer was bookseller A.W. Sheppard and printer Walter Stone was the editor of the new society's journal Broadside. This would later become Australian Author. Other authors on the first committee and council included Nancy Cato
, Nan Chauncy
, C.B. Christesen
, Dymphna Cusack
, Frank Dalby Davison
, Mary Durack Miller
, John K. Ewers
, Sir Keith Hancock
, Xavier Herbert
, A. D. Hope
, Leonard Mann
, Alan Marshall, David Martin
, T. Inglis Moore, John O'Grady
, Roland Robinson
, Colin Simpson, Douglas Stewart, Judith Wright
, and Alan Yates
.
(a Public Lending Right Act was finally passed by the Australian Parliament in 1975, though it was a few more years before authors began to receive payments from the Public lending Right Scheme which is now administered by the Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts) and Educational Lending Right. This last was achieved in 2000. The ASA administers the Barbara Jefferis Award
, which is funded from a bequest from the late John Hinde
in tribute to his wife who was a founding member of the Society. The Award was first presented in 2008 to Rhyll McMaster
for her book Feather Man (Brandl & Schlesinger, Sydney, 2007) In 2009 it was awarded to The Spare Room
by Helen Garner, in 2010 to The China Garden by Kristina Olsson
(UQP), and in 2011 to Come Inside by G.L. Osborne (Clouds of Magellan).
The Society also received a bequest of the copyright of author Mouni Sadhu
(Mieczyslaw Sudowski) in 1972 and currently administers the rights for the works of this author.
, an inner city suburb of Sydney. The Society has been integral in the establishment of the Australian Copyright Council
, Copyright Agency Limited and Educational Lending Right, which was introduced in Australia in 2000.
The current Chair of the Society is Sophie Masson
, while Margot Hilton
is Deputy Chair, David Day (historian)
is Treasurer, and Jeremy Fisher (author)
and Robyn Sheahan-Bright make up the Executive. Angelo Loukakis
is the current Executive Director who was appointed in January 2010.
Founding
The society was established in June 1963 by a group of authors led by novelist Dal StivensDal Stivens
Dal Stivens was an Australian writer.After serving in the army during the war, from 1944 to 1949, Stivens was on the staff of the Australian Department of Information. He served in the press office at Australia House in London until 1950...
, who became the first President. In 2008, the ASA was bequeathed Stivens' literary estate after the death of his heir Juanita Cragen.
The poet Jill Hellyer
Jill Hellyer
Jill Hellyer is an Australian poet and writer, and one of the founding members of the Australian Society of Authors. She is the recipient of an Order of Australia Medal for services to Australian poetry.-Biography:...
was the first Executive Secretary and received an honorarium of ₤10 a week. Vice presidents were the novelist Morris West
Morris West
Morris Langlo West AO was an Australian novelist and playwright, best known for his novels The Devil's Advocate , The Shoes of the Fisherman , and The Clowns of God . His books were published in 27 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide...
and the critic and sometime publisher P.R. ("Inky") Stephensen
P. R. Stephensen
Percy Reginald Stephensen was an Australian writer, publisher and political activist.He was born in Maryborough, Queensland. He was nicknamed "Inky", and attended the University of Queensland...
. The treasurer was bookseller A.W. Sheppard and printer Walter Stone was the editor of the new society's journal Broadside. This would later become Australian Author. Other authors on the first committee and council included Nancy Cato
Nancy Cato
Nancy Fotheringham Cato AM was an Australian writer who published more than twenty historical novels, biographies and volumes of poetry. Cato is also known for her work campaigning on environmental and conservation issues....
, Nan Chauncy
Nan Chauncy
Nan Chauncy was a British-born Australian author of children's books.-Early life:Chauncy was born Nancen Beryl Masterman in Northwood, Middlesex, England and emigrated to Tasmania, Australia with her family in 1912, when her engineer father was offered a job with the Hobart City Council. She...
, C.B. Christesen
Clem Christesen
Clement Byrne Christesen was the founder of the Australian literary magazine, Meanjin. He served as the magazine's editor from 1940 until 1974.-Early years:...
, Dymphna Cusack
Dymphna Cusack
Dymphna Cusack AM was an Australian author.Born in West Wyalong, New South Wales, Dymphna Cusack was educated at St Ursula's College, and graduated from Sydney University with an honours degree in Arts and a diploma in Education...
, Frank Dalby Davison
Frank Dalby Davison
Frank Dalby Davison , also known as F.D. Davison and Freddie Davison, was an Australian novelist and short story writer...
, Mary Durack Miller
Mary Durack
Dame Mary Durack AC DBE was an Australian author and historian. She wrote Kings in Grass Castles and Keep Him My Country.-Childhood:...
, John K. Ewers
John K. Ewers
John K. Ewers was a novelist, poet, schoolteacher and short story writer from Western Australia. He was the second son Ernest Ewers, orchardist, and his wife Annie Eliza, née Gray. When he was 6 his mother died. He was educated at James Street Intermediate and Perth Modern schools, and...
, Sir Keith Hancock
Keith Hancock
Sir Keith Hancock KBE was an Australian historian.He was born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of Archdeacon William Hancock. At the age of nine, he won the Royal Humane Society's medal for rescuing another child from drowning in the Mitchell River. He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School...
, Xavier Herbert
Xavier Herbert
Xavier Herbert was an Australian writer best known for his Miles Franklin Award-winning novel Poor Fellow My Country . He is considered one of the elder statesmen of Australian literature...
, A. D. Hope
A. D. Hope
Alec Derwent Hope AC OBE was an Australian poet and essayist known for his satirical slant. He was also a critic, teacher and academic.-Life:...
, Leonard Mann
Leonard Mann
-Life:He served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, and with the Department of Aircraft Production in World War II.-External links:*...
, Alan Marshall, David Martin
David Martin (poet)
David Martin , known as an Australian poet, was born Lajos or Ludwig Detsinyi, into a Jewish family in Hungary . He used as well the names Louis Adam and Louis Destiny. He also wrote novels and short stories, and plays.He was brought up in Germany, where he first became a communist at age 17...
, T. Inglis Moore, John O'Grady
John O'Grady
John Patrick O'Grady was an Australian writer. His works include the comic novel They're a Weird Mob and the poem The Integrated Adjective, sometimes known as Tumba-bloody-rumba.- Pseudonym :...
, Roland Robinson
Roland Robinson (poet)
Roland Edward Robinson OAM was an Australian poet and writer.Robinson was born in County Clare, Ireland in 1912. At the age of 9, in 1921 he was brought to Australia...
, Colin Simpson, Douglas Stewart, Judith Wright
Judith Wright
Judith Arundell Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights.-Biography:...
, and Alan Yates
Carter Brown
Carter Brown, real name Alan Geoffrey Yates , was an Australian-British author of crime fiction. He was born in London but moved to Australia in 1948. He started writing full time in 1953 and wrote at least 317 novels between 1958 and 1985, mostly crime and dective stories, selling tens of millions...
.
History
The formation of the Society had been deemed necessary as a means of fighting colonial edition royalties. Since most publishing at the time took place in London, Australian authors received only half the royalty for the books they sold in Australia, which was often their most significant market. This problem was quickly dispensed with and the Society looked at other issues relevant to authors such as copyright, public lending rightPublic Lending Right
A Public Lending Right program, is a program intended to either compensate authors for the potential loss of sales from their works being available in public libraries, or as a governmental support of the arts, through support of works available in public libraries, such as books, music and...
(a Public Lending Right Act was finally passed by the Australian Parliament in 1975, though it was a few more years before authors began to receive payments from the Public lending Right Scheme which is now administered by the Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts) and Educational Lending Right. This last was achieved in 2000. The ASA administers the Barbara Jefferis Award
Barbara Jefferis Award
The Barbara Jefferis Award is an Australian Literary award prize. The award was created in 2007 after being endowed by John Hinde upon his death to commemorate his late wife, author Barbara Jefferis. It is funded by his $1 million bequest....
, which is funded from a bequest from the late John Hinde
John Hinde
John Hamilton Hinde AM was an Australian broadcaster and film reviewer. He worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for more than fifty years, in both television and radio....
in tribute to his wife who was a founding member of the Society. The Award was first presented in 2008 to Rhyll McMaster
Rhyll McMaster
Rhyll McMaster is a contemporary Australian poet and novelist. She has worked as a secretary, a nurse and a sheep farmer. She now lives in Sydney and has written full-time since 2000....
for her book Feather Man (Brandl & Schlesinger, Sydney, 2007) In 2009 it was awarded to The Spare Room
The Spare Room
The Spare Room is a novel by Australian writer Helen Garner, set over the course of three weeks while the narrator, Helen, cares for a friend dying of bowel cancer. The Spare Room was published in 2008.- Plot summary:...
by Helen Garner, in 2010 to The China Garden by Kristina Olsson
Kristina Olsson
Kristina Olsson is an Australian writer, journalist and teacher. She studied journalism at the University of Queensland and went on to write for The Australian, The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail, the Sydney Sunday Telegraph and Griffith Review....
(UQP), and in 2011 to Come Inside by G.L. Osborne (Clouds of Magellan).
The Society also received a bequest of the copyright of author Mouni Sadhu
Mouni Sadhu
Mouni Sadhu was the nom de plume of Mieczyslaw Demetriusz Sudowski, an author of mystical and esoteric subjects. Although born in Poland, he eventually became an Australian citizen. As a writer his subject matter concerned Western Hermeticism, and the Yoga tradition of India...
(Mieczyslaw Sudowski) in 1972 and currently administers the rights for the works of this author.
Organisation
The Society now has over 3,000 members and a staff of nine based in the society-owned building in UltimoUltimo, New South Wales
Ultimo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ultimo is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney....
, an inner city suburb of Sydney. The Society has been integral in the establishment of the Australian Copyright Council
Australian Copyright Council
Australian Copyright Council is an Australian non-profit organisation established in 1968 promoting the value of copyright.- Members :The council consists the following 23 members:* Aboriginal Artist Agency Limited...
, Copyright Agency Limited and Educational Lending Right, which was introduced in Australia in 2000.
The current Chair of the Society is Sophie Masson
Sophie Masson
Sophie Masson is a French-Australian fantasy and children's author.-Biography:Sophie Masson was born in Indonesia of French parents who are of mixed ancestry...
, while Margot Hilton
Margot Hilton
Margot Hilton is an Australian author.Hilton was born in London and graduated from the University of Leeds. She visited Australia in 1974 for a holiday and decided to stay, becoming an Australian citizen in 1983...
is Deputy Chair, David Day (historian)
David Day (historian)
David Day is an Australian historian.David Day graduated with first-class Honours in History and Political Science from the University of Melbourne and was awarded a PhD from the University of Cambridge...
is Treasurer, and Jeremy Fisher (author)
Jeremy Fisher (author)
Jeremy Fisher, in Te Ahora, New Zealand, has been Executive Director of the Australian Society of Authors since June 2004. He is a writer, and worked in publishing for 30 years before his appointment...
and Robyn Sheahan-Bright make up the Executive. Angelo Loukakis
Angelo Loukakis
Angelo Loukakis is an Australian author. He was born in Australia, attended Fort Street High School, studied English Literature at the University of New South Wales, and acquired a Dip. Ed. from Sydney Teachers College and a Doctorate in Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney. He...
is the current Executive Director who was appointed in January 2010.
History
- A Writer's Rights: the Story of the Australian Society of Authors 1963-1983. Deirdre Hill (Australian and New Zealand Book Co., Sydney 1983).